I’m curious to know what the role of AP scores are during the admission process. More specifically the UC and Ivy league schools. I believe UC’s don’t require you to submit your scores, but would it make a difference at all?
Like no score submitted vs. a 3 vs. a 5
I have A’s in my AP classes but I’m not positive on scoring high for the upcoming exams in May.
UC’s do not consider AP scores in their admission decisions but taking a rigorous course load in HS which includes AP classes and getting good grades will help your chances.
5’s would look good. 3’s would not.
4’s are good also. Many colleges will give credit or placement for 4’s and 5’s, but not so much with 3’s. It depends on the school. Usually, the more the selective the school, the less benefit for 3’s and, sometimes, 4’s.
There is debate about colleges using AP scores in their admissions process. Will they be pleased to see 4’s and 5’s? Yes, but they will probably not get you in. Some schools, however, will look at AP scores to confirm that the test score supports the grade in the class. A 95 in the class and a 2 on the test might be a sign of grade inflation. Because many students can’t afford to pay for AP tests, not every student takes them. This is one of the reasons why colleges say submitting AP scores is optional.
@Gumbymom That is incorrect information. Berkeley explicitly states it on their website that they consider AP/IB scores.
http://admissions.berkeley.edu/freshmen-requirements
For purposes of prioritizing tests for highly selective schools, the level of importance goes SAT/ACT; SAT2; AP. Agree with @Lindagaf that the big downside to AP scores is that a low score may indicate grade inflation. But I also think that any student would be foolish to gear themselves only for highly selective schools. While highly selective schools rarely give students actual credits for high AP scores (they can be used for placement), high AP scores can satisfy credit requirements at many other fine schools that would fall under “matches” and “safeties”.
Does anyone think it’s a bad idea to submit tests that you got a 3 on?
Most of the comments I have seen here over time is that if you are going to report 4s and 5s on other tests, you should report your 3s. For the reason that it is better for them to know that you got a 3 than assume that you got a 1 or 2.
@BKSquared, actually, at Ivies/equivalents, I’m of the opinion that a bunch of 5’s on AP tests are now considered more impressive than a high SAT/ACT. Let’s face it: the SAT/ACT isn’t that difficult and a huge number of applicants to Ivies/equivalents will have top SAT/ACT scores. All 5’s on a bunch of AP tests is more rare (and more difficult). That’s how Ivies/equivalents would be in competition with Oxbridge for cross-admits (Oxbridge looks for strength in a subject, where admits get top scores in subject tests that are typically tougher than AP’s and then have to impress in an interview with faculty on questions on a subject).
As for whether 4’s on an AP are fine, that would depend on the level of the school. At Ivies/equivalents, I don’t believe 4’s would be fine. Few if any of them give credit for a 4.
@citymama9 , I probably wouldn’t, unless it’s not a very selective school. If the student matriculates, he/she can send in the AP score if the school offers credit or placement for AP’s scoring 3 and over.
Well, a wall of 5’s will be viewed more favorably than a mix of 2’s and 3’s, but IMO an application with 13 5’s is not more impressive to admissions than one with 5 5’s. School differ on AP policies, course restrictions, offerings, etc. And then there is the socioeconomic conversation regarding cost. And if 8 of those exams were self studied, the AO may wonder if the applicant is too one dimensional.
For the Ivy League schools and others that evaluate holistically, it is but one portion of the application package. Nobody can really give a one-size-fits-most answer.
@skieurope, fair point.
Meeting the Oxbridge minimum (five 5’s in relevant AP’s) probably would be impressive enough, and then other parts of the application matter.
@PurpleTitan , depends how you look at it. SAT/ACT’s test cognitive ability as opposed to subject mastery. If an applicant doesn’t clear some level of SAT/ACT scores, I doubt it will matter that they self report a bunch of 5’s on AP’s. I would agree when they hit some level of SAT/ACT scores (maybe somewhere at 1500+ and 33/34+) schools may be looking at fine hairs when they assess across candidates with similar scores, and high AP scores may make the difference (but here, with holistic admissions, the strength of LoR’s, essays, and EC’s, may be even more important).
True, but let’s not freak people out. Even the Oxbridge minimum for Oxbridge (which is really the Cambridge minimum; Oxford requires 3 5’s or 3 700+ Subject Tests or a combination), does not presuppose that the 5 5’s be completed by the time of application, although accepted applications with fewer would be conditional acceptances.
Honestly, submitting AP scores is highly dependant on the indiviual, what HS they attended, what college or university they are applying to and the intended major. It is hard to assess without knowing all the factors at play.
DD#1 had 11APs (6 scores available at the time of applications, evenly split 3s and 4s). She choose to not report a single score…she was 12 for 12 in acceptances. It doesn’t appear to have made any difference that she did not submit her scores (her gpa corresponded with her test scores B/B+).
DD#2 had 9 APs (6 scores at application 4=4, 1=3, 1=1) She submitted ALL of her AP scores, including the awful 1, because she felt it important to show that she got the 1 (corresponding class grade was c+/b-). She wanted to emphasize that she was tenacious and imperfect, but willing to learn from mistakes and keep going. A theme that she was carried throughout her application essays. She applied to 17 schools and had 1 denial. So, did it help or hurt to submit her scores?
Neither kid applied to an elite school, but they did apply to a good number of holistic review schools. For them I think APs simply showed rigour. Undoubtedly the AP game is different at the elite school level. In a system where you are competing against 100s, even 1000s, of other nearly identical applicants, I am guessing application readers are looking for the one thing that they can use to eliminate you first, before they get to looking at the one thing they are going to use to keep you.
@Eeyore123: Sorry, should have clarified that not all UC’s will use AP scores in their admission decisions and should have listed the exceptions such as UCB and UCLA which do. My mistake and thank you for pointing it out.
Colleges are much more concerned about your grades in AP classes as opposed to the AP tests.
Why is that?
For example, Stanford says:
Students currently enrolled in AP courses are not required to submit AP scores as part of our admission process. AP scores that are reported are acknowledged but rarely play a significant role in the evaluation of an application. Grades earned over the course of a term, or a year, and evaluations from instructors who can comment on classroom engagement provide us with the most detailed insight into a student’s readiness for the academic rigors of Stanford.
http://admission.stanford.edu/basics/selection/prepare.html
Something additional to consider: If the student is a financial aid applicant and likely heavy-duty recipient, completing many AP’s with high scores can qualify the student for Advanced Standing, meaning one less semester for the college to have to pay out that aid. A student doesn’t have to take the A.S. offer, but the college won’t know that until after an offer is made to the student.
I think another role that AP and SAT2 scores can play is to demonstrate that a “pointy” applicant is indeed good at their chosen focus. For example, a kid with mediocre grades or curricular rigor in STEM, but who presents herself as a prospective humanities person with a strong interest in writing, helps herself a great deal when she has 5s on several English/History/related AP tests, and/or high 700s SAT2 scores. Sure, she can’t run away from not taking AP Calculus and that C+ in Geometry freshman year, but it certainly buttresses the A’s in other courses and the strong recommendation from her English teacher.